Thorstex nordexfelt



UNITED STATES NT. OFF E-i THORSTEX NORDEXFELT, OF WESTMINSTER, nxo LAX-D, me moron ALGER- xox Mum-mule, or (llRISTL-lXSTAl}, swnmixi,

MANUFACTURE or oun owqsa SPECIFICATION forming part or Letters Patent tress-21899. time May 1p, lee-1.

Application filed AflgllStQi 1684. Serial No. 141,419. (No specimens.) Patented in England April 18, 1. $65. 6,5l4and 0,5l5; in France August 2!,1584. X0.lG!l,$GS; in Germany August 21, 199i. .\'u.il0,1;7fi; in Belgium August 30.1884, No. 66,055, and

in Italy September 30, 1981, No. 17.957. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that we, Tnonsrns Nouns):- FELT, of 53 Parliament Street, .in the city-of Westminster, lngland, civil engineer, and

5. VICTOR ALGERSON MEURLIXG, of Christianstad, Sweden, subjects of the King of Sweden,

.have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Gunpowder, (for which wehavc obtained Letters Patentin Great Britain, Nos. 6,514 and 6,515, dated April 18,

I 1884; in France, No. 163,868, dated August 21,

1884; in Belgium, No. 66,085, dated August 30, 1884; in Italy, No. 17,257, dated September 30, 1884, and in Germany, No. 30,676,

r dated August 21, 1884,) of which the following is a specification. I

At the present time in the manufacture of gunpowder it is usual to incorporate the sul- 'phur and salt-peter with the other materials by a process of grinding. This grinding is a dangerous operation after the salt-peter is added, and it has to be long continued in order that the mixture of the materials may be suificiently intimate. Now, in place of thus producing a mechanical intermixture, which after all can only result in placing minute particles of sulphur, saltpeter, and charcoal side by side, we bring the sulphur to a state of solution in bisulphide of carbon, and in this state 0 we combine it with suitable carbonaceous matter. In this manner wediminish risk in manufacture, we manufacture the powder more cheaply, and obtain a powder which is more even in its results.

If it be deemed desirable to use wood-charcoal, it may be employed as the carbonaceous matter in the manufacture of the gunpowder in carrying out our invention; but as we have found cotton or wood fiber or other like vege- 0 table fiber reduced to a state of fine powder by-a chemical process a preferable carbonaceous matter, we employ it. The vegetable fiber, whether it be cotton or wood fiber, such as is used in paper-making, or other vegetable 5 fiber, is placed in a loose state in a vessel, through which a current of hyd roehloric gas is caused to pass, so that it may permeate the fiber. After a time the fiber will be found in a friable state, such that it may easily be reduced to powder by friction; The current of hydrochloric gas'is their stopped,- and'it -is replaced bya current of air, which is continued mun the gas is thoroughly expelled.

The following is the manner in which we conduct the manufacture of gunpowder: -The ingredients are sulphur, saltp'etei", and t-hecarbonaceous matter. The materials shouldbe pure and the proportions tlie same as nOw'nSed in gunpowder, subject to variation to s'olnc'extent, and as'is now usual to adaptthe powder to the various quired.

We first grind thecarbonaceous matter to a very'fine powder,- the finer the-better; We prepare the sulphur foruse by dissolvingitin bisulphide of'carbon. The solution is effected by the aid of a gentlehcat'ina water bath, and evaporation of the bisulphide may beprevented by covering itssurface with Mayor of water. A saturated or-nearly-salurated solution should be thus prepared.- Tlie'pulveriz'ed carbonapurposcs for which it -is receous matter and the solution of sulphur in bi-" sulphide of carbon are then tl'iorou'ghly mixed together in a closed vessel containing a mechanical stirrer. When thcni'ixt-ureis complete, the solvent isevapora'ted or distilled off by the aid of a gentle heat. The vapor of the bisulphide is collected and condensed, so that the solvent may not be lost. The means for this purpose may be such as are employed when this liquid is used in the preparation of extracts and for like purposes. When the bisulphide of carbon is evaporated, the carbonaeeous matter and sulphur remain intimately mixed, and each particle of carbonaceous matter has become impregnated with sulphur, instead of as at present, where the admixture is obtained by grinding the particles of carbonaceous matter and sulphur being only mechanically placed side by side. The saltpeter is prepared for use by dissolving it in water, the solution is added to the pulverized carbonaceous matter already impregnated with sulphur, as described above, and the whole is stirredtogether in a mechanical mixer.

We find it advisable not to add the whole 9 of the saltpeter at one time, but to divide it into two or three separate quantities, and with each quantity we have sufficient water to render it sufliciently fluid for impregnating the 'ing as they become dry. After the first drying operation the material,-.in a state of .powder, is again mixed with saltpeter solution, and it is afterward again dried, as before, and so for three or more times, should it be considered desirable to divide the operation of incorporating the s'altpeter into so many opera tions. When the incorpdration of the saltpetcr is complete, it only remains to finish the powder for use by the ordinary methods. It

may be compressed into cakes or prisms,'dried',

broken up, andgranulated in the usual manner.-

By this method the dangerous process of grinding the powder after it has been rendered explosive by the addition of the saltpeter may be altogether avoided; or if'in any case it should be considered advisable to resort to a grinding'process after the materials have been mixed in the manner .above described the danger would be much less than at present, because of the lessened time during which the grinding would be continued.

The carbonaceous matter may also be submittcd'without risk. to a grinding operation after the sulphur has been incorporated with it and before the saltpeter isadded.

Although our invention is mainiy intended for the manufacture of gunpowder from the ordinary ingredients, it-is also applicable to the manufacture of like compounds in which the saltpeter is replaced by nitrate of soda or other salt capable of furnishing oxygen to the carbonaceous matter and sulphur.

In the preparation of the cotton .or vegetablefiber liquid hydrochloric acid may be employed; but the use of the gas as herein described is preferable. I

Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention-and the manner of performing the same, we declare that what we claim is 1 I. As an improvement in the manufacture of gunpowder, the method described of incororatingthe sulphur with carbonaceous matter, which consists-in dissolving the sulphur in bisulphide of carbon, impregnating the carbonaceous matter with the solution so obtained, and separating the bisulphide of carbon by evaporation,substantiallyas set forth.

'2. Asan improvement in the manufacture of gunpowder, the method described of incorporating the sulphur and the salt-peter or equivalent salt with the carbonaceous matter, which consists in dissolving the sulphur in bisulphide of carbon, impregnating the carbonaceous matter with the solution so obtained, separating the solvent by evaporation, also impregnating the carbonaceous matter with saltpeter or equivalent salt in solution, and separating the solvent by evaporation, substantially as set forth. a

3. The hereinbeforedescribed method of manufacturing gunpowder, which consists in treating cotton or equivalent vegetable fiber with hydrochloric acid (either gaseous or 

